The present invention relates to a support structure for use in an air supply arrangement for air conditioning passenger cabins in aircraft, wherein the air supply arrangement comprises at least one centrally controlled cabin ventilation system and an individually adjustable cabin ventilation system.
The cabin ventilation system which is controlled centrally, for example by way of the cockpit, serves primarily for the continuous supply of fresh air necessary in an aircraft cabin owing to the high passenger density. In practice, corresponding air outlet openings of the centrally controlled cabin ventilation system are arranged in the region of the overhead stowage bins mounted above the seating rows or in the foot space of the aircraft passenger cabin.
In addition, commercial aircraft generally have an additional, individually adjustable cabin ventilation system for each individual seat within the passenger cabin, which is connected to adjustable air nozzles, so-called “air showers”. These air showers are mounted above the passenger seats and can be individually adjusted by each passenger in terms of the air flow and the flow direction. To enable each passenger to comfortably reach the air shower associated with his seat, this has to be arranged in a predetermined position relative to his seat.
This demonstrates that the arrangement of the air showers in the longitudinal direction of the passenger cabin has to implemented individually for each layout of a passenger cabin in relation to the seat position. Since the air showers of the individually adjustable cabin ventilation system have to be placed precisely at a defined point above the respective seats or seating rows of the passenger cabin, the ducting for the aircraft air conditioning system also considerably complicates installation in the cabin configuration. In addition to the precise position, it is also necessary to check and adjust clearances with respect to the interior trim of the passenger cabin. This results in generally time-consuming and expensive definition, administration and installation processes.
In the operation of modern commercial aircraft, it is becoming increasingly important to operate the aircraft at optimum capacity wherever possible. However, optimising the capacity of the aircraft is often only possible if the aircraft passenger cabin can be flexibly converted, at least to a certain extent, i.e. the spacings between the seating rows arranged behind one another in the aircraft passenger cabins can be adapted as flexibly as possible (reconfiguration).
Therefore, from the point of view of an airline, it can make economic sense during certain times of increased air traffic, e.g. during the holiday period, to operate a commercial aircraft with a greater number of seats or seating rows arranged at a smaller spacing from one another in the longitudinal direction of the cabin. In other instances, it can make more sense to fit the passenger cabin with fewer seats or seating rows arranged at a greater spacing from one another in the longitudinal direction of the aircraft cabin. If required, not only is the spacing between the seating rows altered in such a reconfiguration, but different types of seats are also provided and further operating and comfort elements for the flight passengers are provided or not provided depending on the class (economy, business or first class).
In any case, the individually adjustable cabin ventilation system likewise has to be adapted to the altered cabin layout so that the air showers associated with the seats are also arranged in the correct position relative to the seats when there is a change in the spacings between the seats or seating rows arranged in the longitudinal direction of the aircraft cabin. This type of reconfiguration is virtually as involved as a replacement configuration of the passenger cabin. In particular, safety-relevant layout modifications have to undergo complex tests before the aircraft is recommissioned following the cabin reconfiguration. Finally, depending on the extent of the reconfiguration measures undertaken, an official, or at least a manufacturer's, certification of the modified passenger cabin configuration is required. Converting a passenger cabin configuration of a commercial aircraft which is determined by the manufacturer is therefore very time-consuming and expensive.
DE 10 2007 019 539 A1 discloses an air supply device for air conditioning passenger spaces in aircraft, in which components of the centrally controlled cabin ventilation system and the individually adjustable cabin ventilation system are connected to form an independently operable assembly. As a result, a compact air supply device is provided which is essentially easier to assemble than two separate air supply systems. However, it is also necessary to ensure with these independently operable assemblies that they are arranged in a precise position relative to the corresponding seating rows. Furthermore, the problems relating to the considerable expenditure of time and money also arise in the event of a desired reconfiguration since the components of the individually adjustable cabin ventilation system are not suited to adaptation in terms of their position.
Solutions are furthermore known from the prior art which essentially enable the air showers to be adapted in the event of a reconfiguration of the seating layout. Therefore, DE 10 2007 014 406 B3 discloses a supply channel with an air distributing system which has an elongated housing with a hollow profile extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing and air shower rails. A lateral surface of the hollow profile has a plurality of perforation openings against which the air shower rails lie tightly with their air inlet so that air can flow from the supply channel into the air shower rails through the perforation openings. Those perforation openings which do not lead into an air inlet of an air shower rail can be sealed by applying an adhesive film.
However, applying this type of adhesive film is arduous and both time and cost intensive. It is furthermore necessary to remove the attached adhesive film portions for each reconfiguration of the passenger space and, after the air shower rails have been repositioned, to adapt new adhesive films of a suitable length to the altered spacings between the air shower rails and apply them to the perforation openings of the hollow profile.
Document DE 43 03 681 C1 discloses an air conduit and an air shower which is connected to said air conduit and can be displaced along it relative thereto. The air conduit here consists of a linear dimensionally stable hollow profile with a longitudinal slot, wherein the longitudinal slot is sealed by at least one sealing lip which is closed in the rest position as a result of pre-tension. To extract the air, a carriage which is guided in the longitudinal direction of the air conduit is provided with an extraction nozzle which projects into the interior of the hollow profile and is connected to the air shower. The carriage has an outer guide and an inner guide which are fixedly connected to the extraction nozzle and are thus arranged at a mutual spacing such that they form a clearance which is adapted to the sealing lips. However, the integration into the trim of the interior passenger space has proven difficult in such an embodiment.
The problem moreover arises in both known arrangements that the precise position of the air showers relative to the respective seat positions has to be established before these can be adapted, which complicates installation considerably.